The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-09-10
A WAR STORY.
The Union Spy Of the Kelly Ian.
GERS and the "Rebel Queen"
A Monongalia Soldiers Thrilling Ex.
perience in the Late War.

Written for the Nav DOMINION.
PART SEVENTH.
But her mission was not ven
geance; it was mercy. In a moment
she cut the cords which bound me
and motioned for me to follow her.
did so and we wendell our way
through the woods for at least a
mile where We found our horses.
After assisting her 20 mount and
mounting my horse we started fol
home. After travelling a mile or Sc
we saw an object in the path, and
when we came up to it we discover.
ed that it was the Rebel Queen. We
then continued on towards home and
arrived at the Rebel Queens house
about daylight. l then returned to
Buckhannon. | tried to ascertain
from Lorena why she had returned
and rescued me. She replied that
her lips were sealed upon the sub.
ject, that / should be content with
my liberty.
There are three things / would
like to know; Whether the Rebel
Queen relented and sent Lorens
back to rescue me, or whether Lo-
rena pleaded for my life with the
Queen and got permission to go
back, and what made the means in
the hollow-the Queen, Lorena, or a
panther?
Shortly after this occurrence |
was appointed clerk at Col. Rizer's
headquarters, and did not see the
Queen or Lorena for nearly two
months. One day l went up the
river fishing, and not having very
great success, | returned to town
about two o'clock. AS / was pass
ing the postoffice the postmistress,
Miss Lizzie Mullen, called to me and
said she had a letter for me. She
handed me letter and upon exam
nation j found there vas no post
mark upon it. l inquired why this
was, and she explained that it never
had been mailed; that the Rebel
Queen and Lorena had been in town
and were hunting for me, and upon
learning that / was not in town they
wrote the missive and requested her
to hand it to me as soon as return
ed. l opened and read it and found
that it was an invitation for myself
and Iom -- to attend dance
at the Queens house that night. also
requesting that should bring no
one with me except Tom. Some of
the boys will know who | mean by
Tom. l am compelled to leave his
name blank. Tom, who was married
at that time, had been paying his
addresses to the Queen, and when
she learned that he was a married
man swore vengeance against him.
l went to Tom, showed him the let
ter and wanted him to go with me
to the dance. He replied that no
amount of money would hire him to
go; that the Queen had threatened
to kill him if she ever got chance,
and he advised me not to 90. as she
had learned by this time that / was
a'Union soldier; and as she had re-
quested that we two should come
alone, that she had trap set for us
and wanted us to come that we
might be captured or murdered. L
asked what kind of trap he thought
she had set, and he replied that he
could not tell, but he was certain
that if we went neither of us would
ever return alive. At that time /
was passionately fond of dancing
and was anxious to GO, and did not
pay any heed to Toms gloomy con-
lectures. | went to a number of the
boys who were also fond of dancing
and showed them the letter and
wanted them to go with me. They
all refused and warned me if went
| would be murdered. At last |
went to Tom Collins and requested
him to go with me. Tom was
brave, generous dare. devil, whose
chief delight was a row or danger
Gus adventure the more danger the
better he liked it), but imagine my
surprise when Tom refused to 90.
giving the same excuse as the others
had given. replied by casting
some reflections upon Toms bravery.
This riled him and he said he would
go anywhere that dared to go; that
he would go with me but he doubted
if either of us would ever come back
alive. So about dark we started
afoot, as neither of us had horse
at that time, and the boys would
not loan us their horses to go on
this expedition. We arrived at the
Queens house about So'clock. The
house was perfectly dark and there
was no sign of any person being at
home. Tom remarked that he had
warned me that they were setting a
trap for me; that / now saw that
there would be no dance, and asked
if | was willing to return home. Il
told him l had walked three miles
to come out there, and that / would
never return until / had solved the
mystery, though I did not feel half
as bold as my words expressed. But
l always possessed sort of bulldog
stubborness, and l was somewhat
nettled when l found that they had
deceived me and that there would
be no dance. So / told Tom / was
determined to see the girls and have
an explanation from them. Tom
told me he would stand by me until
the last. / grasped his hand and
thanked him. then went around
the house and saw a light in the
kitchen window. l returned to the
front and rang the bell, but had to
ring several times before anyone re-
sponded. At length the Queen and
Lorena came to the door and inquir
ed who was there / told them Tom
Collins and myself. They inquired
to know. what we wanted. l told
them that they had left letter with
Miss Mullen inviting me to a dance
there that night and that had come
in response to that invitation. The
Queen replied that she had no idea
of having dance and had not sent
me any letter inviting me to one. L
told her l would not believe anv
such statement; that Miss Lizzie
Mullen / knew to be a truthful girl